Grigory Sokolov's visa woes

The Russian pianist has had to cancel his sole British 2009 concert next month
because of the tightening of new visa requirements.

By Ismene Brown

5:50PM GMT 04 Mar 2009

The cult Russian pianist Grigory Sokolov has cancelled his sole British 2009 concert next monthbecause of the tightening of new visa requirements by the British government to combat illegal immigration and terrorism.

The 58-year-old artist has refused to comply with requirements that he give fingerprints and eye prints every time he needs a visa to play in Britain. He was to play on April 29 at the Festival Hall, a long-awaited return after his only 2008 date, at the Barbican, was cancelled for the same reason.

Sokolov, who lives in Italy but does not have official residency there, protested that such requirements had echoes of Soviet oppression, and that for every trip to Britain he would have to make an arduous and humiliating four-hour trip from his home to have his fingerprints taken in Rome. He would also be under constant surveillance in this country. His agent said Sokolov would no longer play in Britain until regulations were altered to avoid this, which has caused deep distress to fans of the pianist.

The requirements for every non-EU worker visiting Britain were tightened last November and are a major bugbear in the music industry. Last week 60 leading arts figures, including artist Antony Gormley and the National Theatre's Nicholas Hytner, publicly denounced the Home Office's "dismaying" new demands of visitors.

Atholl Swainston-Harrison, executive director of the International Artists' Management Association, says the Home Office's inability to store biometric data for future visa issues is a severe problem, but added: "We feel improvements are beginning to be made. The UK is no more draconian than any other – our member agents cover 26 countries and the system here is very much cheaper than others and will probably lead the way worldwide."